I think that one thing that should be mentioned about this great drum synth is that one of the Fors developers is Ess Mattisoson, who also worked on the development of the FM synth in the Elektron Digitone. You can see that in Opal there are many features that are similar to Elektron boxes
Thanks for this complete explanation in such a short little video. I thought this app was complex, I just didn't realize the depth to it. Awesome app and great demo.
@@PATISHAH can microtonic’s sequencer be used to control all the other plugins and VSTs in ableton? Because this can. And the sequencer on this thing is super powerful, very much like the elektron devices. That alone is enough to make me love it. Plus this is about half the cost of microtonic.
I know that it's no trivial task, unlikely to occur, and has been discussed as to why on the Elektron forums, but this device as a VST would be just incredible. As primarily a Bitwig user, having Opal in that environment would be dream. I have Live and really don't use it much these days but will probably do so just for this device. Thank you for the excellent video!
Since it has multiple outputs you could work with it in Live (assuming you have Suite or the Max For Live add on) then record/export the stems for each output into Bitwig for further crafting if that’s where you prefer to work 🕺
@@GourlieRecords If you have used Bitwig, you would know that adding stuff as a Stem leaves about 80% of the power on the table. The modulation is so one of the main reasons to use Bitwig. It breathes life into any Vst you can think of, making simple demo Vst into a fully fledged vst.
It might be incredible, but Fors is a small team, and developing a VST may or may not be commercially viable. VST would likely be a complete rewrite of the GUI, DSP algorithms and would require testing everything. So more development time, which is expensive, they may need to hire more people just for that. But does VST have a bigger market? Will they sell enough VST copies to recover development costs? I suppose that most of the people interested in experimental electronic music may already have Max for Live. It costs less than many plugins. So the VST market for such a niche product is not necessarily much larger than M4L market.
Basically, Opal is a close approximation to the Elektron sequencer workflow for designing tracks that can be played with all the resources of Ableton Live for live performance. What more could you ask for? You don't need to use sound design in a live act when playing with Digitakt or Elektron Rytm but you do have some parameters to modulate on the fly, understanding the flow of the tracks and Song mode. That said, this is a great integration with Ableton Live.
@@lanceolson5988 I use Reaper and will very likely switch to either Bitwig or Ableton pretty soon.. not just one product mate! I don't even know if I will get this plugin. I have a Digitakt, though, which is pretty similar to this (or rather vice versa).
Opal is amazing fun; though if you like it, you’ll probably LOVE Drambo on iPad, paired with Hilda, FAC Drums or maybe Drum Computer. All the per step modulation power of Opal (x100) and some incredibly fun and sophisticated sound engines. Opal does an incredible job distilling the essence of an Elektron style workflow, while Drambo goes beyond what Elektron machines are capable of.
Great vid. I just bought this. It wasn't an impulse. I've been checking this thing out for a while. At present, I am choosing to only use M4L and Ableton devices. Thanks!
Having the standalone sequencer is amazing! Plus you can create a great pattern knowing that it can be used on any MIDI device should you decide to switch your 404 for a softsynth or something else.
I bought this and really like it, HOWEVER... I feel like there's sort of an elephant in the room regarding this virtual instrument, that being cymbal and hi-hat/shaker sounds. I've come closest with the granular synth, but I still haven't been able to get anything close to what I would consider a good, strong hi-hat, ride, or shaker sound. That's kind of a big deal. Am I missing something? I keep having to prop this otherwise great thing up with my Analog Rytm or Digitakt as a result.
The rack folder actually just contains a version of Opal which instead of opening as a pop-up window is only editable in the effect rack section similar to other native Ableton devices. I find it's a little tiny but if you don't like the pop-up window it's just another way to use the plugin. As for output routing using racks I'm not really sure of a smooth way to do that vs using grouped audio tracks. Plus in any rack it won't be quite as easy to mix or add effects as it would be if everything was a separate audio track. The easiest way to share with Opal is to use the Export Bank feature to create a preset file which can be imported into other sessions.
Wow nice! PLEASE MAKE VST/AU, Fors! Or, a version for Bitwig! BTW… For a more analog thing i also love Softube’s drum synth Heartbeat. It’s focused on making ‘similar to but not’ drum sounds calling back to classic machines like Roland Maestro and Korg analog machines of the past.
Very well done review. You explain the detail in a way that it is clear. Interested to know if you have a finished track using this that you could post. Would be super to see what you did with this in a finished piece of music!
For each instance of Opal/Slate you can only have one sample loaded, however you can load up multiple instances of Slate on different MIDI tracks and also use the standalone sequencer if you want to use more than one sample.
@@GourlieRecords i always enjoy twisting knobs and pushing buttons in real life over apps and digital but i feel in 2023 the apps are super impressive... Noir is no joke... but i felt i didnt understand it fully until i used the DFAM... I wouldn't even be surprised if Bram Bos based it loosely on the DFAM then made improvements... Pricewise $10 over $600 also helps too haha... or whatever the prices are currently...
Bram Bos is definitely one of my fav devs on iPad, next to Beepstreet. (Drambo). .. Noire is def a Bram classic. His new synth, Hilda, is also great for percussive sounds. It’s like a Make Noise 0-Coast and Strega
@@AdamsBrew78 drambo too i always assumed was more of a groove box until i did more research on it... I have it on my wish list now... It has a lot more features than i thought
Thanks for sharing this VST. It looks like a great tool for creative blocks. Also, "modulo" is pronounced more like "modular" ... with an "oh" at the end. But I'll admit, I now want to start saying "ma doo low" for fun.
Not into the full instance of Opal however it does come with all of the engines as standalone synths so you can use each of the sound engines as a standard synth device which you can feed whatever MIDI you want.
I absolutely love Opal. Does anyone know by any chance how to actually automate any of the parameters in ableton without using the inbuilt step sequencer? I would just like to automate lets say the warp in the Arrangement view. But the automation doesn`t pop up. Or is there another way to basically record changes live?
Not all Max For Live devices can have all parameters automated and unfortunately Opal is one where I don't think a single one of the parameters can be automated outside of the step sequencer. One of the few limitations of Max. I suppose from a creative standpoint though this keeps it more true to emulating an external piece of hardware 🤔
Yes each engine can have different loop lengths from 1 to 128 steps. You can also adjust the speed for each loop. So you can get super wild with polyrhythms!
I have both. Drumcomputer is a very good drum synth but Opal has more sound design and sequencing options. At $50 each you can get both and use each for different approaches.
Well you'll be getting WAY more than the ability to use Opal when you upgrade, but I hear ya. There's a few other suggestions in the other comments on this video. (side note, the upgrade to suite is probably the best bang for you buck for anything you spend money on in your studio. You'll also get access to free Max For Live devices made by the community, there are thousands!)
It unfortunately does not work with Push due to the complex nature of the device. Max For Live integrates with Push in a somewhat rudimentary way and the features of this device far exceed the integration's capabilities.
Ooh, this looks interesting... "It's Ableton only" AAAARGH. I was hoping to find a rhythm sequencer with an interface as clever as that of Borsta (Klevgrand)... but if it's MfL only I'm afraid that's no good to me :( If I were a live performer I'd consider using Ableton, but not for the studio - the UI is awful for middle aged guys like me with bad eyesight (Bitwig suits me far better with its primary colours and clear controls).
Is it possible to automate steps with midi control? As in, select a parameter, tweak the step automations, tweak the pages, step count, select a different parameter, do the same, etc.. ? Still annoys me with some software that i cant control the whole device with buttons/knobs.
Problem is, no matter how creative or new thinking a plugin is, it is controlled by a mouse. I would like to have a small touch screen added to my computer for these fiddely plugins that require direct finger operation. That would make all the difference. I would probably view and edit all synths on that touch screen then. Will probably check this machine out anyway but feel limited.
Yeah I mean that's a larger philosophical difference between software vs hardware. I too have though about touch screens but nothing ultimately replaces the feel of real knobs. You could always check out the Elektron Digitakt but of course it's much more expensive. The tradeoff to using a mouse vs knobs is price. For example it's $900 for a Digitakt vs $50 for Opal. Big compromise but big savings. Just depends what gets you inspired to make music!
This would be terrible on a touch screen (most music software is). You can't be anywhere near as precise on a touch screen as you can with a mouse and great sound design needs precision.
Argh. This is fantastic. I'm searching for something like this for quite a while now. An Elektron sequencer with great synthesis features. So dope! But I'd need VST :( Regarding the DFAM replacement, I used just Modular from Softube to build something similar. It's not exactly a DFAM, but close and depending on the needs it works very well.
Also having the sequencer just for controlling something else is incredible good. Damn. I really want this as a VST. Please! You read that guys at Fors? :D
I don't understand the choice for the "snare" at the end, it kills everything and is not pleasant at all to listen to, but the rest of the video is handy, thanks.
I was just real-time making noise with it. In hindsight I instead wished that I had shared previously made sequences with it rather than this style of demo because the end result sounded better, but once you upload you're sorta stuck with what you got. Lessons for next time! 😝
Perhaps one day it’ll transform. There’s a Max For Live add-on that allows certain Max For Live modules to be exported as VSTs but its in its very early stages. Hopefully one day!
Lost me a Max 4 Live... Is like they make great instruments but they cripple them at the same time by only making them available like this, Make a VST,AU,iPad version. the dev's already spend time and resources making it. Might as well make them available to Use in Other DAW's or Stand alone. As it stands you have to Shell out $$$ Money for Ableton + Max 4 Live + Application, etc. SO CUMBERSOME. I guess I'll stick with my Analog Rytm Mk2 and Overbridge for now
I'd actually make the argument that Max For Live actually gives legs to software that would otherwise never exist. The appeal for developers to work with Max For Live is it utilizes a visual programming architecture which makes creating devices in that ecosystem far easier and more accessible to non-software developers. There's a lot of software that exists only because M4L is a really easy way to create devices. Replicating the same device as a VST isn't a simple conversion but rather requires a completely different architecture/protocol and skill set to be used. It's like trying to take a wood sculpture and turn it into stone. I do agree with you and hope that one day there is a seamless way to convert devices made in M4L to VSTs though because I too would like my devices to be available more widely, but currently there is no solution. There is a company that makes a product that does this in a very rudimentary way but it isn't fully-featured. At the very least it would be nice if there was a way to load Max as a VST in any DAW which then allows you to load any M4L device. Hopefully one day! 🤞
Okay, I'm going to project a bit and have a negative attitude now, sorry. But, I get much higher quality sounds and drums out of serum and vital by self sound designing then this device can do. It sounds like a childs toy compared with what ableton built in devices stand alone can do. I have the feeling this thing is truly a waste of time. I play alot too with synths when sound designing, and create some strange things in a while But I can't see this thing getting you on a higher level then learning the basics of drum synthesis yourself. And I didn't find the sound quality of this sequencer and generators appealing. I just spend 2 days designing a kick, 5 layer melodic techno bass, drums. These devices lack alot ot basis functionality serum, vital, pigments 2 have, and can do much more type of sounds. And manipulate them even deeper and more fundamentally. And I wouldn't use them therefore.
Well you're not wrong about not being as robust with sound design, but that's not the point of Opal. The engines are intentionally designed to be simplistic and aren't meant to be as robust as a Serum or Vital but they aren't really comparable products. It's a rhythm machine so a significant build element and selling point is the robust sequencer which the whole device is built around. Opal is designed to replicate more what you would see with a rhythm box like Elektron Digitakt to do a very specific thing rather than offer the capabilities of a fully-featured synth. It's like trying to compare an 808 with a Prophet. That said Opal isn't for everyone as no synth is. Every device has it's own specialty and appeal we're just lucky to live in a time where we have an insane amount of options to express our creativity!
That's all the Elektron philosophy. I have the Syntakt and taken like this, the engines are great but could sound a bit limited. But, parameter lock and fine tuning parameters are what makes it powerful. Having constraints shows the real sound design skills. Having all the options in a synth doesn't make you a sound designer.
I'd actually vehemently disagree. Ableton has 3 price tiers to get access and at the highest tier of Suite you get access to an insane amount of tools. Plus there is a huge community making free racks (many of which can work on any edition of Live) and Max For Live devices so you get access to thousands of additional tools and instruments. I can't think of a better bang for your buck from any software bundle.
I think that one thing that should be mentioned about this great drum synth is that one of the Fors developers is Ess Mattisoson, who also worked on the development of the FM synth in the Elektron Digitone. You can see that in Opal there are many features that are similar to Elektron boxes
I was gonna say something about this feels, and even sounds a lot like the Digitone. That explains it.
Fors, please make a VST/AU! Or, version for Bitwig! Ableton CPU use is garbage on PC since v11, so i switched to Bitwig and i love it.
good to know
Imagine how the Elektron sequencer could've been update if they implemented his changes.
@@sub-jec-tiv It' just Winbloat that is garbage
Thanks for this complete explanation in such a short little video. I thought this app was complex, I just didn't realize the depth to it. Awesome app and great demo.
I'm glad it was helpful! 😊
Fors make amazing devices! Probably one of the best out there right now. Opal is wild, especially with the recent upgrade 1.2
I totally agree!
What is there so special, that old Microtonic can not do?
@@PATISHAH can microtonic’s sequencer be used to control all the other plugins and VSTs in ableton? Because this can. And the sequencer on this thing is super powerful, very much like the elektron devices. That alone is enough to make me love it. Plus this is about half the cost of microtonic.
@@shannonpalmer Im in Cubase, there you can do it. There is also option to export your sequence in midi file from it.
I love that GUI! Great overview, very well explained and no fluff.
The GUI is 👌 Thanks for watching!! ☺️
Great walkthrough. Elektron workflow is totally evident here and is awesome to have ITB.
Completely agree! Glad you enjoyed the video.
I know that it's no trivial task, unlikely to occur, and has been discussed as to why on the Elektron forums, but this device as a VST would be just incredible. As primarily a Bitwig user, having Opal in that environment would be dream. I have Live and really don't use it much these days but will probably do so just for this device. Thank you for the excellent video!
Since it has multiple outputs you could work with it in Live (assuming you have Suite or the Max For Live add on) then record/export the stems for each output into Bitwig for further crafting if that’s where you prefer to work 🕺
@@GourlieRecords If you have used Bitwig, you would know that adding stuff as a Stem leaves about 80% of the power on the table. The modulation is so one of the main reasons to use Bitwig. It breathes life into any Vst you can think of, making simple demo Vst into a fully fledged vst.
@@GourlieRecords the max4live community is the thing that holds me back from moving to bitwig.
It might be incredible, but Fors is a small team, and developing a VST may or may not be commercially viable. VST would likely be a complete rewrite of the GUI, DSP algorithms and would require testing everything. So more development time, which is expensive, they may need to hire more people just for that. But does VST have a bigger market? Will they sell enough VST copies to recover development costs? I suppose that most of the people interested in experimental electronic music may already have Max for Live. It costs less than many plugins. So the VST market for such a niche product is not necessarily much larger than M4L market.
the output tip is very useful! thanx
My pleasure! 😊
Basically, Opal is a close approximation to the Elektron sequencer workflow for designing tracks that can be played with all the resources of Ableton Live for live performance. What more could you ask for? You don't need to use sound design in a live act when playing with Digitakt or Elektron Rytm but you do have some parameters to modulate on the fly, understanding the flow of the tracks and Song mode. That said, this is a great integration with Ableton Live.
1:16 never been more disappointed than after hearing that information
Ikr? I’m not ditching Reaper for one measly product 😂
@@lanceolson5988 I use Reaper and will very likely switch to either Bitwig or Ableton pretty soon.. not just one product mate! I don't even know if I will get this plugin. I have a Digitakt, though, which is pretty similar to this (or rather vice versa).
Opal is amazing fun; though if you like it, you’ll probably LOVE Drambo on iPad, paired with Hilda, FAC Drums or maybe Drum Computer. All the per step modulation power of Opal (x100) and some incredibly fun and sophisticated sound engines.
Opal does an incredible job distilling the essence of an Elektron style workflow, while Drambo goes beyond what Elektron machines are capable of.
Dont forget Ruismaker NOIR for the DFAMish goodness. 👍
You’re so good at demos and presenting bro! Big love
Thanks, amigo!! 🙏
That's by far the best tool, that has been released in the last years. It's super fresh in its sound and really creative.
yes. We are leaveing the "preset era", entering the "machines era". I think it will be a positive transition
Great vid. I just bought this. It wasn't an impulse. I've been checking this thing out for a while. At present, I am choosing to only use M4L and Ableton devices. Thanks!
I too am starting to lean more into M4L and Ableton devices/racks. There's just so much to explore and everything runs so smooth!
Great walkthrough - thank you!
Thanks for watching! 🕺
what a great m4l device. wish i could modulate it tho
Thanks for the great video. Seems like a cool synth. Kind of reminds me of the Elektron drum synth.
This is VERY nicely designed. Will be picking this up no doubt!
Nifty! That seems like a software version of something like the Elektron Model Cycles or Syntakt
Also reminds me a lot of Nanoloop
Exactly right!
The brilliant mind behind this worked at Elektron and was behind the Digitone, amongst other releases. He also co-developed some Modbap modules.
@@WildAnalog Well that settles that! 😉
I think the creator of Opal worked on Model Cycles.
Tasty lil engine. Well done!
Hello, nice video! Is possible map the sequencer and paramters with a FaderFox EC4. The FaderFox EC4 has 16 push encoders. Thnks!!
Bounce in place seems an useful script to combine with opal, am I wrong?
Can you use the sequencer to control other instruments/vsts?
You betcha! The sequencer has a standalone device. Checkout minute 25:00
Just got to it in the vid. Thanks for an excellent rundown and for getting back to me! Really like the look of this thing. 👍🏻
Looks cool. Reminds me of the new hardware drum machines that use multiple synths. Thank you! 🎉
Exactly!
can you export in separate channels to ableton?
You can export to separate channels by routing the audio to separate audio tracks and recording the audio from the MIDI device. See 21:08
Sounds great. Looks like a cool device.
Thanks for the video, I learned a lot
Feels like Sugarbytes Looperator with a little bit of Effectrix twang.
Great review, would be nice to be able to expand the sequencing of my 404 with the opal ctl midi
Having the standalone sequencer is amazing! Plus you can create a great pattern knowing that it can be used on any MIDI device should you decide to switch your 404 for a softsynth or something else.
Thanks for sharing this. It’s like a VST Elektron device.
You need an affiliate link as I am now purchasing
Cheers!
Exactly! ☺️
I bought this and really like it, HOWEVER... I feel like there's sort of an elephant in the room regarding this virtual instrument, that being cymbal and hi-hat/shaker sounds. I've come closest with the granular synth, but I still haven't been able to get anything close to what I would consider a good, strong hi-hat, ride, or shaker sound. That's kind of a big deal. Am I missing something? I keep having to prop this otherwise great thing up with my Analog Rytm or Digitakt as a result.
Concerning the output routing tip, isn't that achievable with Racks for easier sharing? I see Opal comes with a rack folder.
The rack folder actually just contains a version of Opal which instead of opening as a pop-up window is only editable in the effect rack section similar to other native Ableton devices. I find it's a little tiny but if you don't like the pop-up window it's just another way to use the plugin.
As for output routing using racks I'm not really sure of a smooth way to do that vs using grouped audio tracks. Plus in any rack it won't be quite as easy to mix or add effects as it would be if everything was a separate audio track. The easiest way to share with Opal is to use the Export Bank feature to create a preset file which can be imported into other sessions.
Great overview 👍
Thanks! 🙌
Wow nice! PLEASE MAKE VST/AU, Fors! Or, a version for Bitwig! BTW… For a more analog thing i also love Softube’s drum synth Heartbeat. It’s focused on making ‘similar to but not’ drum sounds calling back to classic machines like Roland Maestro and Korg analog machines of the past.
Great review! Does it have some sort of Slide function? So that changes between P-locks happen smoothly.
You’d either have to just map a gradual change in the locks per step or use the LFO in the mod matrix to make it smooth.
Very well done review. You explain the detail in a way that it is clear. Interested to know if you have a finished track using this that you could post. Would be super to see what you did with this in a finished piece of music!
Nothing officially launched yet, but hopefully soon! 😉
Hi thanks for the video!! Do you know if there's a way to sequence multiple drum samples on the slate ?
For each instance of Opal/Slate you can only have one sample loaded, however you can load up multiple instances of Slate on different MIDI tracks and also use the standalone sequencer if you want to use more than one sample.
Ruismaker Noire (iOS) does similar things to a DFAM and includes a good sequencer
Thanks, I’ll check that out too!
I love the DFAM and slept on NOIR for months… definitely the closest, if not better version of the DFAM in an iOS app… Use Noir all the time now…
@@GourlieRecords i always enjoy twisting knobs and pushing buttons in real life over apps and digital but i feel in 2023 the apps are super impressive... Noir is no joke... but i felt i didnt understand it fully until i used the DFAM... I wouldn't even be surprised if Bram Bos based it loosely on the DFAM then made improvements... Pricewise $10 over $600 also helps too haha... or whatever the prices are currently...
Bram Bos is definitely one of my fav devs on iPad, next to Beepstreet. (Drambo). .. Noire is def a Bram classic. His new synth, Hilda, is also great for percussive sounds. It’s like a Make Noise 0-Coast and Strega
@@AdamsBrew78 drambo too i always assumed was more of a groove box until i did more research on it... I have it on my wish list now... It has a lot more features than i thought
Thanks for sharing this VST. It looks like a great tool for creative blocks. Also, "modulo" is pronounced more like "modular" ... with an "oh" at the end. But I'll admit, I now want to start saying "ma doo low" for fun.
Potato tomato 🙃
Not a VST :(
Nice video! Although, hardware sequencers like oxi one and others have these and much more features and prob interface too 😁!
No doubt... but not for $50 😉
@@GourlieRecords yess of course! but i mean, it's pretty standard thing for hardware machines
Is it possible to enter notes via midi controller?
Not into the full instance of Opal however it does come with all of the engines as standalone synths so you can use each of the sound engines as a standard synth device which you can feed whatever MIDI you want.
It sounds like Elektron model cycles . Wonderful
One of the developers worked at Elektron for a while so you're spot on 😉
Is it only compatible with Ableton?
Unfortunately, yes it is only compatible with Ableton.
I absolutely love Opal. Does anyone know by any chance how to actually automate any of the parameters in ableton without using the inbuilt step sequencer? I would just like to automate lets say the warp in the Arrangement view. But the automation doesn`t pop up. Or is there another way to basically record changes live?
Not all Max For Live devices can have all parameters automated and unfortunately Opal is one where I don't think a single one of the parameters can be automated outside of the step sequencer. One of the few limitations of Max.
I suppose from a creative standpoint though this keeps it more true to emulating an external piece of hardware 🤔
Your mouse cursor needs to be highlighted. So hard to follow on the black background. Othen than that, good, fast tutorial. Thanks
Noted! I’ll see what I can do about the cursor in the future 😉
Oh this would’ve been a dream on a hardware sampler with a large screen. Dreaming aside - iOS app please :-)
thanks for this video. still trying to get my head around it... can you change the length of loops which would enable poly / euclidean rhythms?
Yes each engine can have different loop lengths from 1 to 128 steps. You can also adjust the speed for each loop. So you can get super wild with polyrhythms!
@@GourlieRecords wow that’s incredible. What a brilliant design. Great video man thank you. Subscribed!
This needs to be a VST
Now the real question, does it run on push 3 standalone?
It is not Push compatible. A lot of Max For Live devices are however this one is far too complex to work.
At this price point (49€) you can get sugar bytes drumcomputer at the moment which is way way more advanced and it works as vst…
I have both. Drumcomputer is a very good drum synth but Opal has more sound design and sequencing options. At $50 each you can get both and use each for different approaches.
I haven't played with it until now but for the price of 49$ it's really a no brainer if you're on Ableton Live
Agreed! 😎
this is just the AWESOME!!!
Definitely! 🕺
Does this device work on Ableton Live 10 Suite? Or do I need to upgrade to 11?
Good question. You’ll definitely need Max For Live to be up to date but you’ll have to reach out to Fors for a definite answer.
It looks like the cost will be about £300 for me. I have Ableton live lite, so the upgrade cost is high. Is there something similar for VST?
Well you'll be getting WAY more than the ability to use Opal when you upgrade, but I hear ya. There's a few other suggestions in the other comments on this video. (side note, the upgrade to suite is probably the best bang for you buck for anything you spend money on in your studio. You'll also get access to free Max For Live devices made by the community, there are thousands!)
Groove maschine m4l thats reminds on LEPLOOP mini synth...
💪💥🗯🔥💭❤💨🕊
p.s. the standalone'$ maybe work well with the Push controller .
Can i use this thing in studio one?
Opal was designed in Max For Live which is a visual device builder only for Ableton, unfortunately.
Pretty cool m4l device got that Elektron vibe for the daw . Curious if the synth engines are based off mutable instruments open source code perhaps ?
have u tried it with push?
It unfortunately does not work with Push due to the complex nature of the device. Max For Live integrates with Push in a somewhat rudimentary way and the features of this device far exceed the integration's capabilities.
looks great but seems intensive on CPU - 22-25% is a lot for just one instrument
Ooh, this looks interesting...
"It's Ableton only"
AAAARGH. I was hoping to find a rhythm sequencer with an interface as clever as that of Borsta (Klevgrand)... but if it's MfL only I'm afraid that's no good to me :( If I were a live performer I'd consider using Ableton, but not for the studio - the UI is awful for middle aged guys like me with bad eyesight (Bitwig suits me far better with its primary colours and clear controls).
moreover, it's unavailable unless you have max4live or the Ableton suite version(
Volca Drum with extended interface.
😝😝
Is it possible to automate steps with midi control? As in, select a parameter, tweak the step automations, tweak the pages, step count, select a different parameter, do the same, etc.. ? Still annoys me with some software that i cant control the whole device with buttons/knobs.
It is not MIDI mappable or Push 2 compatible. The manual states that it's due to the complex structure of the device.
@@GourlieRecords the truth is that's the show stopper for me...otherwise I'd be short of adjectives to say how great opal is...
Problem is, no matter how creative or new thinking a plugin is, it is controlled by a mouse. I would like to have a small touch screen added to my computer for these fiddely plugins that require direct finger operation. That would make all the difference. I would probably view and edit all synths on that touch screen then. Will probably check this machine out anyway but feel limited.
Yeah I mean that's a larger philosophical difference between software vs hardware. I too have though about touch screens but nothing ultimately replaces the feel of real knobs. You could always check out the Elektron Digitakt but of course it's much more expensive.
The tradeoff to using a mouse vs knobs is price. For example it's $900 for a Digitakt vs $50 for Opal. Big compromise but big savings. Just depends what gets you inspired to make music!
This would be terrible on a touch screen (most music software is). You can't be anywhere near as precise on a touch screen as you can with a mouse and great sound design needs precision.
Is that a drum synth? I kinda feel very tired and didn't quite get it.
Essentially it's a drum synth with a feature-rich sequencer attached to it, yes.
@@GourlieRecords Thanks🙂
Holy shit. it actually costs x10 that amount because now I need to get Ableton too :(!! the world seems to be constantly forcing me to use it heh he
There's a reason it is calling you! 😝
ableton only?
Correct
Argh. This is fantastic. I'm searching for something like this for quite a while now. An Elektron sequencer with great synthesis features. So dope! But I'd need VST :(
Regarding the DFAM replacement, I used just Modular from Softube to build something similar. It's not exactly a DFAM, but close and depending on the needs it works very well.
Also having the sequencer just for controlling something else is incredible good. Damn. I really want this as a VST. Please! You read that guys at Fors? :D
THATS WHAT THE FUCK I NEED THANK YOU
🕺
hahaha
Cheers
🔥
Try Bitwig Drum Machine.
I don't understand the choice for the "snare" at the end, it kills everything and is not pleasant at all to listen to, but the rest of the video is handy, thanks.
I was just real-time making noise with it. In hindsight I instead wished that I had shared previously made sequences with it rather than this style of demo because the end result sounded better, but once you upload you're sorta stuck with what you got. Lessons for next time! 😝
@@GourlieRecords No worries, I said that because I liked the video : ) It was a bit like having a good meal and at the end the coffee was cold 😁
😝😝
Sold me in 10 seconds.
It truly doesn’t take long to see it’s full potential! 🙌
Pity it is not a VST ...only for Live users ...
Perhaps one day it’ll transform. There’s a Max For Live add-on that allows certain Max For Live modules to be exported as VSTs but its in its very early stages. Hopefully one day!
max for live looks sofragile get a vst3
InstaBuy❤
Lost me a Max 4 Live... Is like they make great instruments but they cripple them at the same time by only making them available like this, Make a VST,AU,iPad version. the dev's already spend time and resources making it. Might as well make them available to Use in Other DAW's or Stand alone. As it stands you have to Shell out $$$ Money for Ableton + Max 4 Live + Application, etc. SO CUMBERSOME.
I guess I'll stick with my Analog Rytm Mk2 and Overbridge for now
I'd actually make the argument that Max For Live actually gives legs to software that would otherwise never exist. The appeal for developers to work with Max For Live is it utilizes a visual programming architecture which makes creating devices in that ecosystem far easier and more accessible to non-software developers. There's a lot of software that exists only because M4L is a really easy way to create devices. Replicating the same device as a VST isn't a simple conversion but rather requires a completely different architecture/protocol and skill set to be used. It's like trying to take a wood sculpture and turn it into stone.
I do agree with you and hope that one day there is a seamless way to convert devices made in M4L to VSTs though because I too would like my devices to be available more widely, but currently there is no solution. There is a company that makes a product that does this in a very rudimentary way but it isn't fully-featured. At the very least it would be nice if there was a way to load Max as a VST in any DAW which then allows you to load any M4L device. Hopefully one day! 🤞
Is cool, but i still prefer bitwig drummachine
Too bad it is for Live only.. maybe one day ?
Man...please release this as a vst. Thanks
No punch and generic FM plugin sound. What drum machines die you use so far, if this is the best, you ever used?
disagree
Not impressed by the way it sounds. Sorry. Expected much more with the title given to this video.
Pretty much a $50 Syntakt.
Exactly! Not a bad deal 😋
Sorry, but it sounds dull and uninteresting.
I would lose my mind if this were ported to an iPad app
Its sounds like a toy if you ask me and Yeah great if you can't afford hardware. Have you ever used the electron rytm mk2 ?
I have not used it but one of the developers at Fors actually used to work for Elektron so it's no surprise you'd be reminded of it.
Too bad is in the box, at least it should be ported to iPad.
Okay, I'm going to project a bit and have a negative attitude now, sorry.
But,
I get much higher quality sounds and drums out of serum and vital by self sound designing then this device can do.
It sounds like a childs toy compared with what ableton built in devices stand alone can do.
I have the feeling this thing is truly a waste of time.
I play alot too with synths when sound designing, and create some strange things in a while
But I can't see this thing getting you on a higher level then learning the basics of drum synthesis yourself.
And I didn't find the sound quality of this sequencer and generators appealing.
I just spend 2 days designing a kick, 5 layer melodic techno bass, drums.
These devices lack alot ot basis functionality serum, vital, pigments 2 have,
and can do much more type of sounds.
And manipulate them even deeper and more fundamentally.
And I wouldn't use them therefore.
Well you're not wrong about not being as robust with sound design, but that's not the point of Opal. The engines are intentionally designed to be simplistic and aren't meant to be as robust as a Serum or Vital but they aren't really comparable products. It's a rhythm machine so a significant build element and selling point is the robust sequencer which the whole device is built around. Opal is designed to replicate more what you would see with a rhythm box like Elektron Digitakt to do a very specific thing rather than offer the capabilities of a fully-featured synth. It's like trying to compare an 808 with a Prophet.
That said Opal isn't for everyone as no synth is. Every device has it's own specialty and appeal we're just lucky to live in a time where we have an insane amount of options to express our creativity!
That's all the Elektron philosophy. I have the Syntakt and taken like this, the engines are great but could sound a bit limited. But, parameter lock and fine tuning parameters are what makes it powerful. Having constraints shows the real sound design skills. Having all the options in a synth doesn't make you a sound designer.
These sounds are not interesting to the ear. At least not for my taste.
Too bad ableton is unfathomably overpriced.
I'd actually vehemently disagree. Ableton has 3 price tiers to get access and at the highest tier of Suite you get access to an insane amount of tools. Plus there is a huge community making free racks (many of which can work on any edition of Live) and Max For Live devices so you get access to thousands of additional tools and instruments. I can't think of a better bang for your buck from any software bundle.
sounds like a toy for kids
this is an AD
Well no one informed me!